


On Crumbs of Humble Piety

by Bookwormswillruletheword



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: 1800s, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe-1800s, Clarke is the princess of the streets, F/M, Gangs, Maybe more chapters to come?, Street Rats, idk depends on the response
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-22
Updated: 2016-08-22
Packaged: 2018-08-10 07:50:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7836376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookwormswillruletheword/pseuds/Bookwormswillruletheword
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"How much?” Is always Octavia’s first question. </p><p>Bellamy pulled the bills out of his jacket. “Three dollars.”</p><p>“Three days.” </p><p>“Three days.” Bellamy agrees. </p><p>He hates it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On Crumbs of Humble Piety

**Author's Note:**

  * For [marauders_groupie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marauders_groupie/gifts).



> This story is set in the late 1800s, the Gilded Age. 
> 
> Bellamy's famous on the streets, and hates Ark. Clarke is the daughter of the gang leaders of Ark, and she needs a favor. You can see where this is going. 
> 
> Title from Gavroche's version of Look Down because full disclosure that's what inspired this. 
> 
> All comments and criticisms are very welcome.

Bellamy Blake woke up to the sound of New York.

With a groan, he stretched his sore muscles, and pulled his pack out from behind his head.

Shivering, he pulled his ragged shirt sleeves lower, attempting, fruitlessly, to cover his hands.

He smiled down at his sister, who was still asleep, breathing softly. But they had work.

“O. Hey, O.” he said, gently shaking her awake.

“Morning already?” Octavia groaned.

“The rush is already here. Morning for us.”

Stretching, she sat up, and blinked a few times.

With a sigh, she stood up, and dropped the ratty blanket into Bellamy’s bag.

“Alright Bell.” she smiled. “Let’s do this.”

They made a good team, actually.

He watches O carefully as she scans the crowd.

She turns, deliberately making eye contact with him.

He nods, and she’s off.

She latches on the the waistcoat wearing, bespectacled, top-hatted man (they always knew the type).

“Sir, sir?” She called.

At the same time, Bellamy entered the crowd.

The man turned as she grasped his sleeve.

“Sir please?” She asked, a pitiful, desperate look on her face.

With a grunt, the man pulled his hand free from Octavia’s grasp, trying to ignore her.

As he fought off Octavia’s pleas and wails, Bellamy crept up beside him.

Deftly, he removed the wallet, emptying the bills and stuffing them into his coat pocket, and carefully replacing it.

The man finally managed to “shake off” Octavia, and the two of them disappeared into the dark alley.

‘How much?” Is always Octavia’s first question.

Bellamy pulled the bills out of his jacket. “Three dollars.”

“Three days.”

“Three days.” Bellamy agrees.

He hates it.

XXXX

Bellamy ate his food slowly.

Octavia had gone God knows where (he’d stopped worrying about her being alone a long time ago, and besides, everyone on the street know what would happen to them if they touched her) so he was alone in the alley.

Putting the last bite of the sandwich in his mouth, he savored the taste, and the feeling of contentment that came with enough food. Looking up, he was surprised to see 3 figures entering the alley.

He stood up, brushing off his clothes.

Looking closer, he recognized one of them, a short, blonde girl. Clarke Griffin.

“Well look who it is.” Bellamy drawled, leaning against the wall. “The princess of the backstreets. How do you do, Griffin?” He tipped his cap mockingly.

There was no lost love between him and the New York street gang Ark, especially not between head boss Griffin daughter. He tried to keep out of their way, but Clarke? She was something else.

She returned his stare, cold, crossing her arms defiantly.

“Blake. I have a proposition for you.” she said.

“Wow, the princess knows my name. I’m honored.” he smirked.

But in his head, he was running through the scenarios. What if she wanted him to kill someone? He could probably take her and one of those minions, but three on one was a fight he didn’t want to risk. The alley was a dead end, but he could duck into the shop and make his escape from there-

“I need a job done. And the word on the street is that you’re the best, Blake.” she cut into his thoughts.

“Depends on what you need.” he scrutinized her. “And what I get.”

“I’m willing to make this worth your while.” was her answer.

“Is this favor for you? Or for Ark?” Bellamy lowered his voice, as if telling her a secret. “Are daddy’s men going to come after me if I say no?”

The men cracked their knuckles menacingly, but Clarke’s only reply was a curt, “Me and Ark are one and the same.”

“Whatever you say princess.” Bellamy smirked.

She sighed. “Are you in Blake?”

“Like I said. I need to know the job. Then we can talk.” he studied her face carefully.

"Infiltration.”

"Grounders?” Bellamy guessed, naming Ark’s regular rivals.

"Wallace.”

At that, Bellamy laughs aloud. “Oh, now it makes sense. You needed someone for a suicide mission. Sorry Princess, no can do. I don't have  
any sort of a death wish.”

He puts on his cap and makes to leave.

One of the goons starts towards him. Clarke stops him.

"I'll handle this. Leave us please.”

With a last disdainful look at Bellamy, the goons comply, leaving the two alone in the alley.

Clarke watches him for a few moments.

Bellamy sighs. “Look, Princess. I’m out. That's final.” he shrugs.

"Please.”

Her voice is pleading, desperate, and it shoots him how vulnerable she sounds.  
“Please, Bellamy. They-they have some hostages.”she swallows thickly. “The younger ones.”

Bellamy takes in a sharp breath. “Jasper and Monty.”

"Among others.”

Bellamy knew Jasper and Monty, from way back. From the crappy orphanage, from stealing enough for the four of them, from the fear and anger, from running away.

He’d never liked their getting roped up in Ark.

Bellamy swallowed. “What exactly would you have me do princess?”

“Get inside.Figure out the locks and security. we just need information. We’ll handle the rest.”

“Okay.”

Clarke actually seems shocked. “I-really?”

He squares his shoulders and lifts his chin. “I said okay, princess. I’ll do it. On one condition.”

“And what’s that?”she asks, regaining her composure.

"Protect my sister. I don’t want her roped up in this.”

Clarke almost smiles. “Deal.”

She pulls out a bag and hands him something.

“It's the upfront.” she says, in response to his questioning look. “You’ll get the rest later.”

Bellamy looked at the bills in his hands. $20.

She turns to leave the alley.

"Princess…”

She turns. "Don’t call me that.”

"What, princess? It's what you are. The princess of Ark.” Bellamy smirked.

"Actually, Blake,” she turned and grinned at him, catlike. “I'm the queen.”

And she was gone.

Bellamy's head was reeling. Jake Griffin was dead. He had just accepted a job with Ark. And yet, in true street rat fashion, his eyes were fixed on the bills in his hands.

They meant 20 days. And God, he hated that thought.

XXX

Come find me on [tumblr](http://pevxnsie.tumblr.com)!


End file.
